Talk:Community Action 2020 development workshop, November 24 2005
This page is a space for comment and questions before the CA2020 development workshop (see article), for contributions from others who are not able to attend and for possible continued discussion or collaborative work after the workshop. Enter comments in the space below each question. - Philralph 18:58, 20 Nov 2005 (UTC) How can the CA2020 prgramme help the work of existing networks? See for example: Projects by location: England, Networks and Networking How can CA2020 help build skills, particularly in working with the wider voluntary and community sector (VCS)? (see also Community & voluntary action) One of the key aims of CA2020 is to engage with the wider VCS and to encourage the hundreds of thousands of groups within it to do more on the environment and sustainable development. One issue to be considered is how existing local sustainability networks can develop their own work in this area with support form CA2020. :The first hurdle is to get the "mainstream" voluntary sector to think that environment and SD is anything to do with it. My experience in Nottingham City, at least, is that the groups working on various aspects of disadvantage and self-help tend to see these as things that "that lot over there" is doing while they themselves get on with the important stuff. Certainly the case during my stint on the community empowerment network for the City. Similarly, local environmental groups have never engaged with the general voluntary sector infrastructure. I put it down to a lack of leadership during the LA21 phase. The key, obviously, is to start drawing links with the work those bodies *do* see as being theirs, e.g. energy efficiency and fuel poverty. --Tim Gray 08:43, 21 Nov 2005 (UTC) Of the opportunities for involvement and ways forward, what should CA2020 prioritise? Other comments The workshop will also enable networking amongst participants and consider feedback on proposals, and comments on these can also be included. Of course, anyone who has a place reserved for the event can take any comments from here to the workshop. :For me the success of Thursday will be influenced by the extent to which we can go beyond criticising that which we see as negative and focus our creative energies on building up and backing that which we see as positive. For me the negative tends to be anything which retains a whiff of top-down, whilst the positive is peer to peer learning. If we can sustain our energy levels throughout the day, and in particular after lunch, perhaps we give ourselves the best chance of grasping any opportunities to build and back that which we see as creative, practical and positive. Philralph 08:22, 22 Nov 2005 (UTC) Some very brief feedback from yesterday's meeting Around 25 - 30 people were at the meeting, about half from outside local government. Personally I felt the meeting to be positive, liked the high degree of participation and encouragement to develop practical ideas. As I understand it the meeting was happy for a copy of Chris's report to be included here when available. Philralph 15:53, 25 Nov 2005 (UTC) :See also Do our top sustainability organisations get active citizenship? :Report of the meeting - see CA2020 Development Workshop November 24 2005, Report :See also Towards a national meeting of local sustainability organisations and networks